Back to Old Habits

Following the mid-term elections of last year, I swore off political blogging out of disgust.  I was unable to come to personal terms with the outcome of those contests and simply could not reconcile in my mind as to how the American public could make such decisions about our nation’s leadership.  Since that time, I have reflected on those issues and, though still uncertain about what anything means anyway, I am going to re-commence my writing re: politics…and some other topics as well.

 

I suppose that like all people, when I reach an impasse in my understanding of a particular event, I tend to rationalize it in an attempt to achieve clarity.  I am still unable to achieve a high degree of clarity about the outcome of those mid-terms; but I do believe I have somewhat satisfied myself as to why they played out as they did.  There was a lot of talk about the “Trump candidates” sabotaging the Republican chances of taking the Senate and the House with a larger majority.  No doubt, some of those folks did not help themselves or their party by the way they conducted their campaigns.  Kari Lake could very well have won her race against a very flawed Democrat had she simply focused on policy and left election-denial to Donald Trump.  Dr. Oz was never more than a celebrity candidate who was carpetbagging in Pennsylvania.  Herschel Walker was a marvelous football player, but clearly did not belong in the U.S. Senate.  His race against Warnock was the best example yet of a choice between the lesser of two bad options.  “Two out of three” of these races would have shifted the Senate to the Republicans.  How different would America be today had that happened?

 

But if you look across the country, the Democrats had their share of bad candidates also; and many of them lost.  I’m just not sure that one side had a disproportionately-larger share of bad candidates.  I am pretty certain that the Republicans had their bad candidates in the wrong places at the wrong time.  A bad candidate losing a race they had little chance of winning is really no great loss.  A bad candidate losing a very winnable race is a great loss indeed.  The Republican’s bad candidates lost some very winnable races to some of the Democrat’s very bad candidates (i.e., Hobbs, Fetterman, Warnock) and that made all the difference.

 

I think the second main factor in the somewhat unexpected results of the late mid-terms was the fact that under the cover of the covid epidemic, our nation’s election laws have been distorted, perverted, corrupted, and altered in such a way that fundamentally changes the nature of political contests.  We no longer have election days in America; we now have election weeks and months.  It is farcical to see large, populous states effectively and efficiently conducting their election responsibilities, reporting full and accurate results in time for news cycles on election day, while smaller states dither about with virtue-signaling election policies and create election soap operas that play out to the extreme last minute.  I never cease to be amazed at how many races end up being decided by a last-minute flush of mail-in ballots that just happen to be of sufficient quantity to swing a race one way or the other. 

 

The plain and simple fact is that the covid epidemic was, in many ways, a Trojan Horse that enabled the Democrat Party to shift the rules of the election game in their favor.  They introduced a new offensive strategy that the Republicans had no defense for and the scouting operation of the Republican Party was, and remains, a dismal failure.  In order to overcome this Democrat advantage, two things are going to be necessary.  First, Republicans must raise the level of their mail-in campaign operation so that it is far more competitive with that of the Democrats.  They simply cannot continue to get their ass kicked in this arena when so many critical races are being decided by such close margins.  Mail-in voting must be carefully examined and discussed.  Ballot harvesting is against the law and the spirit of free elections.  It should be exposed for what it is… corruption of a fundamental and essential American privilege. 

 

Next, Republicans must continue to promote and implement fair, defensible, and transparent election reform laws at the state level all across this nation.  Georgia’s recent election reforms have been tested through the legal system and have come out intact.  They were test-driven in the mid-terms and by all accounts, performed even beyond expectations.  Read about it here: https://www.nationalreview.com/corner/survey-0-percent-of-black-georgia-voters-had-a-poor-voting-experience/ .  It serves BOTH national parties well to have a fair, balanced, transparent, and EFFICIENT election system in place at the state level so that voters can easily vote as they desire, be readily informed of those voting results, and most importantly of all…TRUST the results of those proceedings. 

 

The institutions of our government have become so politicized and discredited by their corruptive behavior over the last few decades that it is no surprise the public has little faith in their integrity.  I would like to think that problem will, over time, correct itself and recover sufficiently to a point of balance between the two warring national parties.  These are dark times for our government; but the Constitution is an incredible blueprint and if we can simply manage to honor and defend it, our course will be corrected.  But if we ever lose complete confidence in our national elections, then what are we?  If corrupted governments are permitted to administer corrupted elections, they are no better than China, or Russia, or Venezuela, or Iran.

 

At some juncture soon, the Republicans and the Democrats are going to have to come to terms with each other and agree to state-level election reforms that create some trust and credibility for the selection process.  And while preserving the constitutional principles of federalism, we must achieve some level of uniformity as we conduct our state elections.  If our nation is to survive long term and continue the promise and prosperity that our founders envisioned, then we must restore integrity to our election process.

 

As I delve back into politics for blogging purposes, I will strive to make one critical adjustment to my posts.  It will be difficult and oftentimes impossible, but I will try my best not to focus on the specific instances of political, societal, and cultural madness that surround us.  Instead, I will attempt to focus on the broader implications of those particular events.  In this fashion, I would hope to come across to my few readers as being perhaps a bit less partisan and a bit more reflective.  It will be an effort to be more loyal to my political registration as an Independent and, simultaneously, an attempt to open up my mind to political principles that I have in the past been far too anxious to dismiss out of hand.  My success in this effort might not be impressive, but the effort will be made. 

 

I have always tried, in the main, to steer my readers (via links) to source documents that would provide them a far more professional product than I am capable of offering.  From time to time, I realize that I fall into that internet abyss that is so irresistible to so many people.  You know the one…the one that whispers in your ear that your thoughts and words and opinions are actually worth something and you might even be close to some sort of epiphany compared to others that are out there.  To put it in simpler terms…everyone is an expert on the internet.  I pledge to make a renewed effort to select both linked content and personal opinion in a way that limits unfounded faith in certitude.  And I will try to focus on themes that address broader and more expansive ideals and topics in a sense that is more philosophical than confrontational.  The meat may not be as red…because it will perhaps be better cooked.  Feeble though it may be…this will be my effort to tone down the political vitriol that is running amuck in our country today.

 

 

The Amazing Spectacle That Is the NFL and All Things Tom Brady

I believe that the world of sports reflects this nation in a microcosmic fashion.  We the fans, to a very large extent, live our lives vicariously through the players and the games.  The incredible technological advances in home entertainment have made it possible for almost anyone to have a television set-up at their residence that rivals, and in many cases exceeds, the actual game experience at the venue.  I submit to you that there is no sport that has better captured the essence of this “fantasy franchising” better than the National Football League (NFL).  All of the various professional sports make money; else they would cease to exist.  But the NFL is nothing less than a financial juggernaut.  The sheer volume of profit it produces through ticket sales, merchandising, and television rights is mind-boggling.  It is also shameful in a world where so much tragedy and poverty exist; but that is an argument for another day.

 

The National Hockey League (NHL) gives us a sport that offers a stage for the exceptional athlete to demonstrate extraordinary skill and ability on the ice; but it’s not so subtle main attraction is the pure, physical brutality that is an essential part of its heritage and current existence.  Major League Baseball (MLB) has oftentimes been referred to as America’s Game, but it is suffering through a transition that has cost it that alpha position.  By simply refusing to change for decades (likely a sincere effort to preserve the traditions of the sport that have made it so appealing), it has allowed itself to become outdated and not quite as desirable to the modern-day sports fan.  I think baseball has finally realized this and will work out its problems; but that is going to take some time and it has pretty much lost all of the momentum it once held to claim the pinnacle of sports.  The National Basketball Association has become a caricature of itself and through the bizarre behavior of its team owners, its pampering of the players to the point of losing control of the sport on the floor, and the fact that it has sold its soul to the woke extremists in an attempt to appease every…single…demographic in America, it has lost the magic that it once possessed.  In my humble opinion, college basketball has replaced the NBA as the primary showcase of its sport.  The problems that the NBA has created for itself are going to be difficult to solve.  The hole they have dug is deep and the existence of a robust competitor like college basketball will make it extremely problematic for it to ever, once again, regain the popularity status it once held in the sports world.  Whereas college football serves as an appetizer for the NFL; college basketball has actually supplanted the NBA.  What can I say about soccer?  It is the most popular sport in the world, but a red-headed stepchild in America.  It is the ultimate “participatory” sport and the wokeria love it for that reason.  Me…I would rather watch paint dry than watch a whole soccer game... just wishing and praying for a single goal to be scored.  Clearly, some of its athletes are gifted and that skill is occasionally demonstrated on the field.  The occasions are just too rare for my taste.

 

The NFL gives us a balance of grace blended with pure, physical force.  It is precision balanced with brutality.  It is strategy and boldness.  It is the ultimate test of the risk-reward quotient.  The team owners are spoiled billionaires who use their teams as playthings to live the ultimate fantasy; the same one being entertained by nearly every fan viewing the games.  We, as fans, first would love to be on that field and compete with these extraordinary athletes; but reality is far too omnipresent to allow that fairy tale to survive for long.  In lieu of that participation, we become armchair “experts” in the sport and can readily, and flawlessly, recognize each and every player error, coaching mistake, and blown call by the officials.  We often announce these reports not only to the entire household, but to the neighborhood at large.  But the ultimate and ever-elusive experience would be to own an NFL team.  To cozy up with the players and coaches.  To reside in the owner’s skybox on game day and rub shoulders with the elites of the sports and entertainment world.  To be down on the field with the warriors and receive their rapt, if undeserved, attention.  To stand up on that stage after the championships are decided and receive the decadent trophies that are awarded on such occasions.  All of these fantasies flow through an NFL fan’s mind as the season progresses.  A tiny fraction of the truly gifted college football players ever has meaningful careers in the NFL; but in the fevered mind of the typical NFL fan, there is always that wandering figment of imagination that whispers to us… “I could have made that tackle” … “I could have made that catch” … “I could have thrown that touchdown pass”.  None of this is true of course, but the phantom belief lies there nonetheless…just beyond the realm of consciousness and reality.  One other point to be made about the NFL…it is an authentically-American game. 

 

The NFL ownership cabal, and let’s be honest…that is exactly what it is…a collection of wealth and power that provides for itself privilege at the highest levels of capitalism and government and has found for itself the perfect useful idiot for representative in Commissioner Robert Goodell.  In many ways, Goodel is to the NFL owners what Joe Biden is the Democrat Party.  Both are shameful and unabashed slaves to the directives and agendas of their mentors.  But where Biden is a pitiful incompetent, Goodel is a polished and effective showpiece that can easily navigate the glitzy, upper crust environment of the NFL universe.  The NFL has demonstrated an extraordinary ability to change with the times and keep its sport at the center of the American sports’ dinner table.  Over the decades, it has altered the playing field, expanded its viewership reach, increased the fanbase, changed the rules of the game, managed to share the wealth in such a way that satisfies most of the machine parts, and it has done all of this while keeping a keen eye on how the fans feel about the changes. 

 

When it screws up, it has shown the ability to pull back and reconsider.  A perfect example of this ability is the NFL’s dalliance with the woke aspects of our culture and society.  At first, the NFL…much like the NBA…leapt headfirst into the woke arena and came up with numerous efforts to mollify the more liberal elements among us.  Recall the knelling fiasco of anti-cop Kaepernick?  But the big difference between the NFL and the NBA is the fact that the NFL is usually able to recognize when it has over-reached.  Has Kaepernick played football since?  It could see that catering to a handful of fans at the expense of a much larger group of fans was simply not sustainable and would not lead to fiscal prosperity.  While maintaining certain contacts with the “social consciousness movement”, they have pulled back from the overt and over-the-top type of “empathetic” displays that are so prevalent in the NBA.  I cannot count the number of times I have sworn off of watching NFL games because of its woke antics over the last few years…but I am a weak, weak man.  I always come crawling back.  The NFL goes right up to the edge of the cliff, backs away in some strategic sense, and then they puuulllll me back in.  They have somehow managed to find a balance between recognizing these concerns, while preserving the fundamental essence of the sport.  This uncanny marketing ability is the primary reason that the NFL dominates the sports world today. 

 

As we head into this NFL season’s final playoff chapters and decide the ultimate champion, it is a good time to put on my fan hat and comment on one of my personal views of the game.  I am a proud and unabashed Tom Brady fan.  It is beyond debate that he is the greatest quarterback to ever play the game and without a doubt, he is one of the greatest, if not the greatest, players to ever play the game.  He has never been the greatest athlete, the strongest arm, or the fastest runner; but the ultimate measure in NFL archives is a player’s personal and team record of accomplishments.  In that respect, Tom Brady’s NFL career is unparalleled.  It is true that he has had the good fortune to be associated, for most of his career, with great teams and great coaches.  He has also been blessed with good health over his career.  But we have to recognize the fact that the person most responsible for these things is Tom Brady himself.  He negotiated his contracts with the teams of his choice.  He is the one who maintained his body in peak, physical condition.  He is the one who made the on-field decisions about when to hold ‘em and when to fold ‘em.  Tom Brady seized the good fortune that came his way and leveraged it into the greatest NFL career in the history of the sport.  And I, for one, hope that he is not finished yet.  He is not always perfect; not even close.  He throws some bad pics, he fumbles a bit, he misses receivers every now and then, he breaks a tablet or two, and every once and a while…he might kick or trip an opponent in an illegal manner.  But man…when you take his career in total and look at his highlight film, you have to admit the fact: No quarterback has ever done it better.

 

With Tampa Bay out of the playoffs and even with exciting and impressive teams remaining to compete for the championship, sports talk is consumed with the question of “what will Brady do?”.  This fact alone will tell you how prominent this man has become in his sport.  Looking around the NFL landscape, one has to wonder… Is there another Brady out there?  Patrick Mahomes is absolutely incredible and does things on the field that I have never before seen quarterbacks do…and he does them with regularity.  I believe he will probably win his second Super Bowl this year.  At times Joe Burrow, the Magic Man of the Bengals, appears very much like Tom Brady in the early stages of his career.  His composure, his competitiveness, his surgical approach to the game…all of these things are reminiscent of a young Tom Brady.  But when you look at the sheer numbers that Brady has accumulated and consider the performance level and longevity required from either of these two outstanding quarterbacks to equal those marks, one has to reach the conclusion that we will likely never see an NFL quarterback like Tom Brady again.

 

I am going to now indulge in the current question… What will Tom Brady do now?  I have read and listened to the musings of the talking heads, the ones who do this for a living.  I have tried to weed out the woke, hysterical “look at me” sportswriters of today from the truly professional journalists of the sports world.  I have tried to ratchet back my own desires about what “I” think Brady should do so that he can continue his arc of success.  Here is what I think… Brady must first decide whether or not, at the age of 45, he can continue to perform at a level that he finds personally acceptable.  A man like Brady is not going out on the field and embarrass himself.  He is smart enough, and humble enough, to review this season’s film and make that decision in the right way.  Secondly, Brady will only go to a team where all the pieces are in place, or can reasonably be put in place, to win a championship next year.  And we should keep in mind, the first step towards winning a championship means getting into the playoffs.  If Brady can find satisfactory answers to these two questions, I think he will play once again next year.  I cannot imagine him being personally comfortable with the way Tampa Bay’s season unfolded and I think he would like to write a much different closing chapter to his illustrious career.

 

So, the question is before us…Who does Brady end up playing for?  Now following the playoffs, the NFL landscape is going to change dramatically.  That point is easily validated by examining the records of past Super Bowl winners during their immediate, post-Super Bowl seasons.  Coaches will change, the draft will occur, free agents will shift around, some players will retire…there is much to take place before the kickoff of the ’23-’24 NFL Season.  Taking all of that into account, here is my best guess.  Brady can only go where there is a need for a new quarterback.  Brady will only go where he is wanted and where he wants to go.  Brady will only go to a team that is going to be equipped to compete for a championship.  Brady is looking for a coach that he feels he can work well with.  Brady is smart enough to know that the shortest and best route to the playoffs is a Division Championship; a wildcard entry into the playoffs is far too unreliable to base short-term career decision upon.  Which teams best fit these criteria?

 

I will rank them in what I consider the most likely probability.  First Option: Tampa Bay.  Everyone assumes that Brady and Tampa Bay are finished.  But if you listen to the smart journalists and especially some of the local Tampa Bay writers, it becomes clear that there is a very close, respectful, and strong relationship between Brady and the Glazer family that owns the Bucs.  Does Tampa Bay have some team weaknesses that must be addressed?  Yes, of course they do.  But they also have some of the most exciting players in the league already in place to build upon, they are going to make some coaching changes that might improve their game, they have the draft and free agency to address their needs, and they are in a weak division that offers a reasonable path to the playoffs.  Take away the extraordinary injuries the Bucs experienced this year and the season could have been very different.  Add to this the fact that Brady is already there in Tampa and has family connections in the area.  He clearly likes his teammates and they clearly like him.  If he is going to go for another round or two…why not just stay with the Bucs?

 

There is a parallel story tracking with Brady’s and it is that of coach Sean Payton.  No matter what you or I might think of Payton, he is recognized as one of the most sought-after coaches in the NFL.  The intrigue of packaging Payton with Brady makes for an enticing proposal.  You have to believe that either of these accomplished individuals would love to team up with the other.  Which teams could make that happen?  Second Option: Carolina Panthers.  Carolina is one of the wealthiest franchises in the NFL; they can find the money to buy Brady and Payton if they so desire.  They have a good, solid roster in place and with the addition of a few critical pieces, they could compete at the highest level.  They currently have a coaching vacancy.  They do not have an established quarterback in place.  They are located on the east coast where Brady’s family connections reside.  They are in Tampa Bay’s division and that is one of the weaker divisions in the NFL.  Do not count Carolina out of the Brady sweepstakes.

 

I personally believe that the rumored “arrangement” between Brady and the Miami Dolphins from earlier this year was in place and blown up by the Flores lawsuit.  Would it be possible for that “arrangement” to once again be resurrected?  Option Three: Miami Dolphins.  Miami clearly has a team in place that can compete for a championship.  They are on the east coast.  They are in a division that is competitive, but not formidably dominated by one team.  They have a sharp, offensive-minded coach that has demonstrated an ability to achieve success on the field.  They have the financial wherewithal to sign Brady.  The fly in the Miami ointment, however, is Tua.  Is he the quarterback of the future for the franchise or is he damaged goods due to his concussion history?  I believe there is a strong possibility that Miami may try to get the band back together for next year with Brady handling lead vocals.

 

And finally, we have the Las Vegas Raiders… Option Four.  The Josh McDaniels connection is the elephant in the room that is probably keeping the Raiders front and center of the Brady discussion.  The Raiders have money.  The Raiders have cut their ties with Carr and are shopping for a quarterback.  Although the Raiders have some glaring weaknesses, they have shown an ability to complete at the highest level with some of their gifted playmakers.  With some strategic free agent signings and a good draft, they could put together an impressive roster.  Looking at the prism one way, the Raiders might look like a good fit.  But if we look through another facet of the prism, things do not look so compatible.  Las Vegas is a long, long way from the east coast where Brady’s family connections reside.  And even though it might be near his hometown west coast roots, it is far away from his kids.  This has to be a prime consideration against signing with the Raiders.  Additionally, any reasonable person could look at the AFC Western Division and call it one of, if not the, strongest division in the NFL.  If you are Brady and contemplating climbing one or two more mountains before you retire, why in the world would pick the tallest peak in sight?

 

All things considered, it must be enticing for Brady to think about throwing deep to Hill at Miami or Adams at Vegas.  They are truly extraordinary athletes.  From top to bottom, it is hard to find a stronger team roster than that of the Carolina Panthers.  You have to believe that somebody is going fill in those blank spaces and find some great success.  But at the end of the day, all of these teams really have nothing more to offer than the Tampa Bay Bucs.  Why pack up and move, say good-bye to three years’ worth of relationships, have to learn a new offense and team philosophy, and go through the pain and agony of new contract negotiations with strangers when you can find pretty much all you are looking for right where you are?  The grass is not always greener on the other side.

 

Who knows?  Brady might hang up his cleats and take up the microphone.  He may become entrepreneur supreme and pursue full-bore capitalism.  He may go the Peyton Manning route and carve out a new direction in covering sports.  I hope he continues to play the game he has shown to be so good at and is able to end his career on a much higher note than that loss to the Cowboys on Monday night.  In the word of Ronnie Dunn…. That ain’t no way to go.  Whatever his choice turns out to be, I will bet he is successful with it.  He is a class act and an absolute treasure for football fans everywhere.  Best of luck and good fortune to you, Tom Brady.

 

One more short blurb:  I will predict that Patrick Mahomes gets his second Super Bowl ring this year and the Chiefs close out this season in which they have dominated the competition with a Championship performance.  They are a great team and will truly deserve the trophy… if they can win it?

“This” Is What We Are Down To

In 2016, President Donald Trump was elected to the surprise of essentially the entire civilized world.  He, himself, did not expect to win.  Democrats most certainly did not expect him to win.  The “Democrat Party Conglomerate” of the mainstream media, the high-tech industry, and academia did not expect him to win.  And most significantly of all…the Republican Party did not expect him to win.  All of these…entities…had made solid arrangements on election night to celebrate the expected, emphatic defeat of either an adversary or an outcast.  Donald Trump was clearly not “one of them”.

 

His term was a four-year exercise in all of the aforementioned entities coming to terms with the reality of a “President Trump”.  His time in office brought with it some high points and good times; it also continued the downward spiral of statesmanship in government and exposed him as the arrogant egotist that he is.  From the moment of his election, it was chiseled in stone that he would not have close friends or allies in the Republican Party, that he would be constantly hounded and attacked by the “Democrat Party Conglomerate” previously mentioned, and that he would be entirely incapable of growing and maturing in his new position in a manner that would in any form or fashion unify this nation or our government.  Donald Trump is many things; statesman is not one of them.

 

But on that election night in November of 2016, no person on this planet was likely more surprised and simultaneously more disappointed than Joe Biden.  His link to continued feasting at the government’s expense was gone with Clinton’s defeat.  He, himself, was an undeniable political loser at that point in time and he had no apparent future prospects for re-entering the political arena.  At some point soon after the 2016 results became obvious, a thought must have occurred to Biden and the light bulb in his head (dimly) lit up, flashing this message…  “It is time to make some money…time to call in the chips!”

 

All the side-deals he had made while serving as Vice-President…the ones that had to be surreptitiously routed in byzantine fashion to keep them under wraps…now had an opportunity to come out from the darkness and blossom.  And blossom they did!  With no thoughts whatsoever to future political aspirations, the cover and hesitancy required for questionable ambitions based on power and position were tossed aside and the Biden-family money-making machine kicked into high gear.  Today’s global and connected economies offer some unique opportunities for entrepreneurs to make a lot of money through innovation and free markets, but mingling private sector ingredients with public sector ingredients makes for some unsavory and filthy brew indeed.

 

Between the time that Biden left the White House as Vice-President (VP) and began to publicly pursue the Democrat Party presidential nomination for the 2020 election, Biden and his “interests” set up two “think tank” operations…one (the Biden School of Public Policy and Administration) in his home state of Delaware through the auspices of the University of Delaware and one (the Penn Biden Center for Global Engagement and Diplomacy) in Washington, DC (WDC) through the auspices of the Ivy League school University of Pennsylvania (not to be confused with the football school Penn State University).  These would be the dual headquarters for the “payoff chapter” in his diminishing political career; his golden sunset.  The group of people chosen to set-up and operate these political organizations (i.e., think tanks) resembles a who’s-who listing of Obama Administration personalities.  The lower-level and blue-collar folks seemed to congregate on the home turf of Delaware while the more polished and professional crew took up residence in WDC…under the direction of current Secretary of State Anthony Blinken.

 

In this brief time period between leaving WDC as VP and running for and winning the presidency, Biden and his family’s “interests” made an absolutely incredible amount of money.  It is abundantly clear from public records that the main benefactor to this wealth gain was China.  Over this time period, China donated between $55 and $60 million dollars to the University of Pennsylvania.  Concurrently, the University of Pennsylvania (U of Penn) hired ex-Vice-President Joe Biden to serve as a…wait for it…professor with an annual salary around $750,000.  It is notable that Biden not only did not teach any classes at U of P, but his annual salary was far above and beyond the average for even tenured and/or accomplished professors at the school.  It should also be noted that the President at U of P at that time is now serving as the American Ambassador to Germany under President Biden.  Needless to say, one would reasonably expect that most, if not all, of the people employed at the organization’s operations in both WDC and Delaware have found new, generous, and promising employment with the federal government under the current Biden Administration.  What we have in the White House today is, without any doubt whatsoever…quite simply…Obama Part Three.  How revealing do you suppose it would be to track the foreign policy decisions made during the Obama Administrations (especially those in which Biden was involved) that impacted China and how that nation (China) has fared based on those decisions?  Do you suppose there was any money made?

 

At some point in the next two years, the Republican Party may gain some semblance of common sense and learn to fight political battles on equal terms with the Democrats.  The mainstream media might actually become so embarrassed by their groveling position at the feet of the Democrats that they will, at least in part, rebel and begin to reflect a glimmer of professionalism, integrity, and character in the execution of their business.  The high-tech industry might be shaken out of its woke condition by some combination of public pushback, new and tighter federal regulation, and a rebirth of traditional “free speech” values.  The effective and useful distractions of wokeness, “Hunter laptop” affairs, “All Trump-All the Time” media coverage, foreign policy affairs, and current events (as they relate, of course, to covid) may provide a “public awareness” shield over any serious effort to unravel this mystery of Biden business affairs…but it is not an impenetrable shield. 

 

Now this is a long, long, shot under very windy conditions…but if these aforementioned things were to occur and legitimate investigation went into the misadventures of Joe Biden and his “interests”…then, the Vice-Presidential records of Joe Biden held at the U of Penn and the National Archives would be unsealed, the laundry business records of the Biden “interests” and the U of P would become public, a sufficient amount of Hunter Biden’s shilling business for his Vice-President father would be uncovered, Biden “interests” financial records could be examined in a through and comprehensive fashion, and the American public could come face-to-face with the obvious question… “How did Joe Biden go from being a shallow, unprincipled, under-achieving life-long politician who had little to show in any sense from his 50-plus years of public service…to being an ultra-rich, globe-trotting, multi-mansion owning, uber-wealthy person/President (who co-incidentally carried his family interests along with him) in a little less than a four-year period?” 

 

The odds against a target hit of any kind are exceedingly high.  The odds against a lethal hit are astronomically high.   But there is no plausible argument for not attempting the shot.  The international marketing of our nation by its leaders to the highest bidder poses nothing less than a national security threat of the most serious nature.  Peeling back the layers of this corrupted and rotten vegetable will be nasty business.  The players and details will be difficult to discern due to the decomposition.  But the fact that the perpetrators of this unholy affair remain in power even today makes it more urgent than ever that it be exposed for the vile act that it was…and is. 

 

The various elements involved here…the perversion of our laws and government, the politicization of departments and agencies, the weaponization of government against the people it is sworn to represent, the profiteering of public office for personal enrichment…make it non-hyperbolic to say that the very character, integrity, and fundamental foundations of our country are at stake.  If the entities, both private and public, in our culture and society that are entrusted with providing some degree of civic transparency and public awareness allow this sordid episode in American history to pass without close examination, they will  be undeniably complicit in it through their passivity.  If only our nation could be liberated from these entities and individuals who follow with impunity patterns of self-indulgence that are fostered by illusions of self-importance.  History should judge them accordingly.  Whether or not history actually does depends on who writes that history.  If this type of behavior is allowed to flow by us without consequence, what remains that will not be tolerated?

 

The timeline, the public records, the vast array of individuals involved in the enterprise…all are out there waiting to be assembled by someone or something who is willing and able to connect the dots.  It will have to be done in spite of, not with the assistance of, the U.S. Department of Justice.  It will have to be done, at least initially, without any support or aid from the mainstream media.  It will have to be done in a manner that presents a complex and Machiavellian web of corruption and deceit in such a way that renders it comprehensible and clear to the average American citizen.  But the potential is there; the story is there; the plain and simple truth is there…to be told.  It lies scattered, dissembled, hidden away, and protected by powerful forces that profit from its secrecy. 

 

In those brief months after leaving the White House, someone on Biden’s team saw not only the opportunity of achieving an incredibly ambitious and profitable goal…but actually had the courage, intelligence, and foresight to plan and execute it successfully.  They saw in Joe Biden the perfect man to serve as a useful, shallow, and unprincipled marionette for the liberal elements of the Democrat Party; a vessel they could shoehorn into their scheme.  Twisted though it was, this was nothing short of a brilliant epiphany!  It is painfully obvious that this is the one person who was NOT carried over to the Biden Administration.  That level of competence is nowhere to found in today’s White House.

 

This is the story of how a washed-out and defeated professional politician, approaching his twilight years with modest means and modest (at best) achievements, managed over a less-than-four-year period to gain immense wealth and unparalleled influence, orchestrated a political coup by gaining his Party’s presidential nomination, won a national election by hiding away in his basement and openly pursuing a non-contact campaign for President, swept into WDC on the glorious wings of a resurrected political career with the full support of a unified and loyal Congress, and found himself to be the inexplicable darling of the “Democrat Party Conglomerate” that, to a large degree, controls and manipulates American public opinion.  Not only that, but to his and his Party’s credit, they leveraged this remarkably good fortune into a two-year record of liberal achievements that will undoubtedly accrue to the monumental detriment of many future American generations.  It is not an overstatement to say that he and his Party actually achieved things that the ultra-liberal President under which he served could only dream of and never even dared to propose.  How do you suppose all of that happens?  Is there even a chance in hell that we will ever know? 

 

For all of the faults that are inherent in Donald Trump, the simple fact is that most of them were organic.  He was born with a silver spoon in his mouth and his arrogance, conceit, and ego were with him from birth; they were cultured and nourished within him by the environment purchased by his wealth and status.  He had acquired his riches before entering public office; not while he was in public office.  He made his coin by limiting the checks he wrote to the government (check his tax records); not by maximizing the checks he received from the government.   Trump was no doubt ethically-challenged; but he did not sell-out his public trust to gain his wealth. 

 

The problem with Joe Biden is not the air-headed mumbo jumbo he spouts every time he attempts to speak in public…the total nonsense that leaks out every time he opens his mouth; nor his capricious attitude towards truth and sincerity.  The problem with Joe Biden and his “interests” is the fact that he sold the power and influence of his elected office for profit; he sold himself for the almighty dollar.  He used his public office for private enrichment.  He can skate for being an idiot…he is skating for being an idiot…and a liar.  We have elected idiots and liars before and will undoubtedly continue to do so.  But he should not skate for being a CROOKED idiot and liar.  He did so at the supreme level of the American government, the zenith of American leadership.  You decide for yourself the appropriate name for what he did to his nation and the people he represented.  And rest assured, whatever that name might be…he is one of them at the highest order.

 

For what must surely be the first time in American history, our former and our current Presidents are BOTH under active federal investigations concerning criminal activity.  “This” is what we are down to and only the Good Lord knows where it will end.